This One
by OtterBear
Summary: Ginny is in love with her best friend.
1. chapter 1

_He loves her_.

I can tell by the way he looks at her. Like the world wouldn't matter so long as she were with _him_. If she would kiss _him_. Hug _him_. Caress _him_. Confess her love for _him_. Yet love him she does. Just not the way he does her.

I know this because _she_ told me.

She also told me that it hurt her to see him suffer that way, especially over her, but that she wouldn't give in to her pity and be with him just to make him happy. Not again. It was a miracle their friendship made it through _that_ catastrophe. Because that's what it was, _catastrophic_.

It lasted a week.

She decided to take a chance at it during their 5th year. To see if there could ever be something more between them than just friendship. _But there wasn't_. Not on her behalf anyway. The aftermath lasted much longer. Six months..

Six months of nasty looks, uncomfortable silences, ridiculous outbursts (on his behalf), his petty attempts to infuriate her, and her civilized ' _I'm ignoring you because I respect you and I wish you would just get over it, grow up, and lets be friends already_ ' attitude. Yes, she loves him. But as a brother, a best friend. Nothing more. I think he got the message when she started dating Kevin though. Not that his feelings have changed. He still loves her.

Kevin James, is a 7th year Ravenclaw. He's captain and chaser of the Ravenclaw Quidditch team, and Head Boy. He's tall, very muscular, has dark short wavy hair, and the most beautiful snakeskin green eyes ever. Not unlike Harry's, whose green eyes are warm and soft, and young and old at the same time. They tell on him when he's hiding something or when he's hurting. No, Kevin's eyes are deep. There's so much drive in them. I understand why she likes to look into them. I bet she gets lost in them.

The fact that Hermione Granger was dating Kevin James was a tragedy for the rest of the female population in Hogwarts. The fact that he was dating anyone, let alone Miss-I know the answer to everything-Granger, was something to be mourned by them. Because they all wanted him, Slytherin's too. He's _that_ guy. The one the girls want and the guys all want to be friends with. ' _She's so lucky_ ,' they all say. Like she's won the ultimate prize. But they don't know.. _He's the lucky one._

As I sit here in the common room in front of the fire working on my potions essay, I can't help but feel saddened by it all. There's a sense of loss somewhere inside of me. But I can't pinpoint what it is. I haven't lost her. She's still the best friend she's always been. Attentive, understanding, caring, honest, outspoken, intelligent, intuitive, and brave. Did I mention beautiful?

Hermione Granger has grown into a _very fine_ individual. I don't think she notices though. How time has changed her. Inside and out. She hasn't changed much, just matured. Come out of her shell, so to speak. She no longer thinks like a child, let alone look like one. All tall and curvy now, in all the right places too. I think I like her. A lot. But why _her_?

It was always Harry. Harry and the way I wanted to be near him but couldn't bring myself to do so. The way I wanted him to look at me and see more than just his best friend's little sister. I _wanted_ him. Or at least I thought I did at the time. Things changed when I started noticing _other_ things. Like the way she bites her lip whenever concentrating on a difficult task, the way she smiles, when a strand of hair falls across her face and she tucks it back behind her ear, or the way her inkstained fingertips would eversogently turn the page of the book devouring her, (it's not the other way around no matter what anyone thinks.) Little things.

"Almost finished?"

"Huh? Oh, um yeah, almost."

"Assistance?" she asks as she sits beside me on the couch.

"No thanks. I think I can manage." I give her a small smile and keep writing. She nods her understanding. "It's not that hard, potions. I don't see how Harry and Ron don't understand it. What's not to get?"

She giggles and my heart does back flips. Sometimes I think she sees right through my façade. At times I hope she does. So she can know without me telling her. _So much for my Gryffindor courage._ Then I wonder if she would still be my friend if she did. That's when I hope she doesn't, because I can't take loosing her.

"Kevin says hello," she tells me as I pack my things, watching my every move. "He wishes you luck in the upcoming match."

"Give him my thanks. But that I won't take it easy on him just because he's my best friend's boyfriend," I smile a cocky smile as I swing my bag around my shoulder and head to the stairs. She laughs as she follows.

"Get some rest. You'll need it for tomorrow," she says when we reach my door.

"Thanks"

She doesn't leave. Just stands there, waiting. _What I wouldn't give to just lean forward and kiss her_. Again my courage fails me. Instead I bid her good night and walk into my room, close the door and press my back to it. After a minute or so I hear her walk up to her room. _I'm so stupid._

The match was gruesome. We beat Ravenclaw 250-90. Harry was ecstatic. All of Gryffindor was. Except for me. When I walked out of the changing room I saw Hermione consoling a very defeated Kevin. When she saw me a flood of emotions showed on her face. But I just kept walking as if I hadn't seen anything.

As I walk though the portrait hole a butterbeer is placed in my hand along with many 'congratulations' and pats on the back. So I walk though the mass of people and head straight to my room. I'm not in the mood to be around a bunch of happy people. I drink it in one shot and lay down, closing the curtains of my four-poster so no one would bother me.

"Gin wake up"

"Ginny"

I recognize the voice. I open my eyes to find Hermione sitting on my bed.

"How long was I out for?"

"Not long"

Another moment of silence. She's thinking of what to say. I can tell by the way she's fidgeting with the hem of her robes. I have't seen her like this since that time she was stressing over her OWLs.

"Ginny, there's something I need to tell you"

 _ **TBC**_

AUTHOR'S NOTE

This is my first attempt at writing, so please excuse any mistakes. This won't be very long, and the rating may change later. Anyway, I hope you all like.


	2. chapter 2

_"Ginny, there's something I need to tell you."_

~{}~

I sit up and scoot over to give her more room. She settles comfortably next to me, and grabs my hand with both of hers. We're so close our thighs touch and I can't help the tingles that spread through my body. _Naturally_ I stiffen at her touch because it's what I do.

I can't help it.

My physical self restraint is sort of impeccable when it comes to her. I'm so wound up I fear that were I to let go I probably wouldn't be able to control myself, and I'd never forgive myself if I did anything to make her feel uncomfortable.

She looks down at our hands and has her bottom lip between her teeth.

 _I envy those teeth._

"Hermione, what's going on?"

"I'm sorry for waking you.. You played a very tough game today, and I'm sure you must be tired," she's hesitant, "but I _must_ speak with you."

I'm not sure if it's because she's nervous, but she's looking at my blanket like it's the most interesting thing in the room.

"Don't worry about it. I have all the time in the world for you," I tell her. "What did you want to talk about?"

This must be serious if the inner turmoil flashing through her eyes is anything to go by. As I wait patiently for her to gather herself, I'm assaulted by mounting sense of apprehension. My overactive imagination is about to go into panic mode, and the once steady beating of my heart is quickly rising in tempo.

"Ginny, I need to tell you something of great importance, and I fear if I don't tell you now I won't ever muster up the courage to do so."

No butting in then. _Got it_.

"You can talk to me about anything, Hermione."

This impending conversation is becoming a bit unnerving. Though we've been friends for the better part of five years, not once has she come to me in this state over something _not_ schoolwork related. And that includes the _incident_ with my brother.

That was a bad week for me.

Never before had I wanted to inflict so much bodily harm to one of my brothers as I did Ron. I wanted to hex the smile off his face every time I saw them together which was _too_ much in my opinion. I barely get to see her that week, and when I did it wasn't for very long. Thankfully, I never witnessed anything more than innocent hand holding because I'd probably be down a brother.

 _But someone else did._

She was in the library when Ron, being the insensitive idiot that he is, decided it was the _opportune_ moment for their first kiss. How wrong he was..

She didn't take kindly to his advances, and tried to tell him to let her do her schoolwork. Apparently after being friends since first year, my brother has yet to learn to leave her alone while she's studying? When _that_ didn't work he took it upon himself to _convince_ her by grabbing her and forcing his tongue down her throat.

Kevin came out of nowhere like some bloody knight in shinning armor and saved her from Ronald's clutches. A few weeks later they got together. That isn't to say that I'm not grateful he was there to save her.

I just wish she were with me instead.

 _Wait!_

She _is_ here with me.

"You're one of my best friends, Ginny. Have been since third year. We've been through _so_ much together.. And I want you to know that it's been a privilege to bear witness in the making of who you are now, and who I know will be a most spectacular human being. You are such a beautiful person that it's no surprise it's manifested itself externally as well," she runs the back of her hand down the side of my face, and I can't help but lean into her touch. Her gaze following her movement. "But there's something I've never told you."

She drops her hand and looks down again.

"From the moment I met you there's been this one thing nudging me toward you, and it's taken me a very long time to not only figure it, but to come to terms with it. You captured my heart from the very beginning and have yet to relinquish your hold on me."

 _What?_

"For so long I've had to suppress the way I feel out of what I can _only_ describe, as Gryffindor nobility. That it took, being in a sham relationship for almost an entire year to get to where I am now is a testament to how afraid I was of losing you. However, recent developments have brought to light things that I previously chose to ignore."

This has _got_ to be a dream because there's no way the girl I've been pinning over is pouring her heart out to me.

"Ginny, I'm in love with you"

I must look totally stupid because all I can do is look at her. No words, I can't find a single one. I don't even know if I'm breathing because all I can feel is the beating of my heart. I wonder if someone spiked the butterbeer I was handed on my way up here because there is no way this is really happening.

I'm brought out of my thoughts to find a pair of smiling brown with a hint of.. worry? "Are you alright? You were out of it for a moment there." She's going for humor when I know deep down she is terrified. I know her too well for my own good. Five years is a long time when you're in love with someone you think will never love you as you do them.

"Yeah, no I'm good. Just a bit tired from the game." _How lame is that?_ Did I just dismiss what she just told me? She drops her hand from it's place under my chin, and looks down. _When did her hand get there?_

"This is a bad time," she looks up with a sad smile, "I'll come back when you're not so tired. I'm sorry to have bothered you, Ginny." She makes to get up, and I realize 3 things: she's leaving because she thinks I don't feel the same, I might not get this chance again, and _I'm a bloody idiot._

She's on her feet and I see that our hands remain linked, and before I know it I pull, more like yank, her and she lands on top of me. I can see the surprise in her eyes turns into something I've only ever seen a few times. Like when she walks into the library, or the few times I've caught her looking at me. I just thought she was looking at something else.

Those chocolate orbs turn almost black, as I'm sure mine do also, then they travel down to what I assume are my lips. I lower my gaze to her own in time to catch her lick them. I reach up with my free hand to cup the back of her neck and close the distance between us.

My lips brush against hers and I can't help but close my eyes the moment she kisses me back. She releases my hand to caress my face whilst my newly freed hand makes its way down to her waist as I trace my hand up from her hand to her shoulder and down to the small of her back. The banging of the door breaks our moment, and thus ends the memory.

That night we snuck up to her Head Girl room. Where she explained how she and Kevin were only together to cover for each other, and how she only dated Ron to figure out if it would help with her feelings for me. Then we kissed.

 _A lot_.

After putting the pensive where it belongs, and replacing the memory in the vial I exit the library in search of my wife. I find her in our bedroom folding clothes sans magic, so I sit on my side of the bed and watch her. She's just as beautiful now as she was that fateful night thirty years ago.

"Ginny," brown orbs search my face, "love, have you heard any of what I've just said?"

"Sorry, no I was lost in though. What was it?"

" I was asking what you were off doing whilst I've been doing the laundry," she says teasingly as she makes her way to me.

God I love this woman.

"I was taking as trip down memory lane"

"And which memory were you revisiting this time?" I smirk up at her, grab her hand, pull her on me, grab the back of her neck, and close the distance between us.

"This one."

 **A/N** **Sorry it took so long. I hope a did alright, given that this is my first time. For those that followed, commented, etc.. Thank you very much!**


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